Managing the Drama
by Ashton Lithe
Summary: In which Karkat must manage his workers, keep his business running, and deal with personal issues. Rated M for heavy sexual and mature content. AU Story.
1. And So It Begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own Homestuck, or any of the characters thus involved. This is purely a fan created work for entertainment purposes only. I am in no way making any sort of monetary gain from this project. Homestuck and all of it's denizens belong to Andrew Hussie. This goes for all chapters involved in this story, so this will be the only time you see this. Keep it in mind, children.**_  
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_A/N_:_ Hey there! If you're here, you're probably looking for some good old Homestuck fan made works, right? Or maybe you've read my other stuff and wanted to read more. Well, have at it! But, I have some warnings and things I need to get out of the way. First off, this is an Alternate Universe piece of work. If I address any characters as Trolls, that points to the social group they hang out in, not the alien race as seen in the comics. I've tried to keep their personalities as straight on as I could. Also, since this is an Alternate Universe, jobs and such have to be assigned! Karkat is a pimp, Sollux is a whore. That should be all you need to know to understand this warning: There are highly explicit and sexual moments in this fiction. There are also heavy periods of harsh and mature language (mostly from Karkat, go figure) and there may or may not be drug abuse later on. So, if you don't think you're comfortable with any sort of weird sexual things (because I'm sure there will be), M/M, F/M, F/F, threesomes, or any other sexual activities, mature language/themes, or even Alternate Universes, please, just do us all a favor and leave. I don't mind constructive criticism, but if you flame, you will be dealt with immediately. So please, enjoy the story._

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><p>He slumped against the tree, tired and sticky from the previous night's fun. The wad of money he had acquired was tucked away safely in his black shoe, a habit he had picked up after his pimp had found out that a few hundred bucks had been stolen from him one night. The morning fog had already settled in around him. It darkened the sky and obscured the view of the city from his lookout point. The graves around him whispered sweet nothings to the sky and birds. He sat, watching behind his dichromatic glasses as the sky began to lighten behind the fog.<p>

"Hey, fuck ass. Where's the money?" That would be his pimp.

"Oh, no, don't waste your insults on me this early." His lisp was worse, his throat was sore. He chalked it up to too much dick sucking in one night. His pimp scoffed.

"Sollux, we've been over this before."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, hold your horses, KK." Karkat, his pimp, growled as he waited for Sollux to pull off his one shoe and reach in for the money. Karkat shook his head and picked the money up. Sollux hadn't even looked at him during the entire exchange. Sometimes Karkat hated being a pimp, just for reasons like this.

Sollux was bipolar, and his doctor even thought he might have a mild case of multiple personalities. Karkat hated seeing his boys and girls go through harsh times, which was why he currently held the weakest pimp title.

He silently walked in front of Sollux, obscuring his view of the skyline. He took in the view of his most favored boy. Sollux's thick black hair was mussed, and some fresh bruises and hickeys were already blooming on his clavicle and shoulders. His clothing, a black and yellow ensemble that Kanaya had put together for him, was beginning to rip in some places and was stained with blood and dirt. His tight pants were scrubbed up. His scent was that of a two cent whore.

"Fuck, Sollux, don't you know what a shower is?" Karkat was less than pleased with him. Sollux glared at his pimp over his glasses.

"I'm sorry that I live in a shitty apartment and work part time at a computer repair shop that barely pays me minimum wage. I'm sorry that I then have to spend that money on _food_ to keep me alive, and even buying the cheapest shit I can, which I do, I barely have enough money to keep utilities for a month at a time." Sollux made no move to escape, to run away and hide himself behind a computer like he was known to do. The news about his living arrangements shocked Karkat.

"Fffffuuuu, why didn't you say something, you stupid piece of shit! You know I would've helped you out! God, you are the dumbest dick I've ever known!" Sollux managed a smile as he watched Karkat spin around in a slow circle as he ranted. That was what made his pimp a favorite of the prostitutes in the city. He was funny once you got past the angry composure, he was personable when you brought tear jerking things up, and he cared about those working for him in his own weird way. "You're coming home with me today. You can take a warm bath, fuck, make it a motherfucking goddamn bubble bath with fucking rose petals, I don't care! I'll have some decent fucking food delivered while you do that, and get some fucking clothes that don't smell like cum and urine." He offered his hand to his boy. Sollux stared at it for a moment before taking it.

Sollux followed the bright red pimp coat slowly, as if he was in a daze. People gave them weird looks; it was getting to be a decent time of day, at which it was uncommon to see a pimp and his whore on the streets. Karkat stopped off at their safe house, located in the basement of Kanaya's clothing shop.

"Kan, I need some new clothes for fuck face over here." Karkat ordered when he pushed open the employee only entrance. Kanaya lived in a small flat above the shop, and was usually found in the back room finishing up new designs before the store opened. She smiled at Sollux after calming Karkat down enough.

"Mister Bumblebee, you ruined those wonderful new clothes." She scolded lightly. Sollux grinned showing off his sharp teeth.

"I have to make a living too, you know." He twisted the hem of the oversized black and yellow striped shirt as she shuffled around to find some suitable clothes. Karkat had disappeared into the basement, assumedly to change out of his pimp clothes and into his normal garb. It wasn't much longer before Kanaya tossed a pair of loose black jeans and a deep blue polo at him.

"On the house, this time. I'll get to mending those, if you want." She motioned to his current outfit. He gave her an impish smile which flashed his snaggle teeth.

"Thanks, Kanaya. I'd appreciate that." The seamstress couldn't help but smile at his lisp.

"It's not a problem. You know where the changing rooms are." He nodded before quickly maneuvering through the familiar racks of clothing.

Karkat appeared while Sollux scampered off to get changed.

"Gah, I don't know what I'm going to do with him, Kanaya. He hides so much from me."

"Maybe it's because you seem impersonal about a lot of things."

"I treat him better than most pimps would!"

"That may be true, but you need to show it more often in a way he can understand." Karkat opened his mouth to continue bitching when Sollux appeared from the changing rooms.

"Sorry about that, KK. Before we go back to your place, can we stop at my apartment? I need to get a couple of things." His glasses hid the emotions that ran rampant in his eyes. Meds. He needed his meds. He was about to lose his fucking mind if he didn't get his meds.

"Uh, sure… I don't see why we fucking couldn't. We have to go through the shit hole to get to my place, anyway." Kanaya picked up the subtle hints that Karkat was dropping without even realizing it. She took the dirty clothes from Sollux as she eyed his pimp with a grin. "What the fuck are you grinning about?" She just chuckled and bustled off to put the clothes in a safe place until she could get to them.

"Come on, fuck face. I actually want to take a nap before I have to leave again."

"Leave again…?"

"I have a fucking job, you know." Karkat glared at Sollux, not wanting to admit that there was a warm feeling bubbling up in his stomach at looking at the man. They were around the same age, but Karkat had more baby fat left on him than Sollux did. The pimp was short, not exactly fat but not exactly skinny either. His coarse black hair was always a mess, and his gray eyes flashed anger at every blink. Sollux was tall, thin, and bony. He had fine hair, but the way it was cut turned it into a thick mass that you could just lose yourself in for days.

Karkat broke the gaze before the feeling could spread anywhere else. Without another word, he exited the shop the same way they had entered, knowing that Sollux would follow. It only took a couple of blocks for Karkat to realize something.

"Aw, fuck!" He spun around, glaring at the mass of people on the sidewalk. He had no idea where Sollux's apartment was.

"KK, you worry too much." Sollux had slipped beneath his gaze, appearing by his side rather quickly. Karkat glowered at him before muttering something inaudible. "What was that?"

"I said lead the fucking way!" Sollux smirked, pushing his glasses up with his middle finger.

"What do you say?"

"Lead. The. Fucking. Way."

"KK, I'm not moving until you say please."

"You know what, you can fucking kiss my ass!" Sollux's smirk grew. His hand flew out and gripped Karkat's chin, holding him still. Karkat thrashed at it, trying to break the taller man's hold on him.

"Lemme go, you fuck wad!" Sollux silenced any more protests with a deep kiss, drawing his pimp close to his body. Karkat struggled even harder. His fists beat uselessly against Sollux's arms.

Before much longer, Sollux broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to look at Karkat over his glasses. Karkat noted that his eyes were mismatched, a deep orange amber to a sea blue. Karkat had no time to discuss the odd eye colors, or the kiss, because Sollux was already quickly walking down the street. Karkat wanted to scream at the top of his lungs in frustration.


	2. Temporary Fix

The rest of the walk was silent. Karkat made no motion to start up conversation, and Sollux had obviously settled down since the little incident.

"KK, you'll have to come up with me. It's not safe for you to stay on the street." Sollux said grimly when they approached the apartment building.

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because people know your face. They won't make the connection right away, but once they see me with you, they'll know. We have to do this quickly." He grabbed Karkat's wrist, speed walking the rest of the block to the apartment complex. Sollux didn't bother with the elevator.

"Jesus… Fucking… Christ…. What floor do you live on?" Karkat panted as they finished the 6th flight of stairs.

"The eighth."

"Goddamn! No wonder you're so fucking fit." Sollux couldn't help but crack a grin at the roundabout compliment.

Karkat kept quiet the rest of the way, his mind trailing back to the kiss on the street. Sollux hadn't tasted great, of course, he had spent the entire night sucking dicks and God only knows what else. But his lips were soft, something that even Terezi, Karkat's girlfriend, didn't have. They were on the 7th flight when Karkat registered the familiar warm feeling in his lower abdomen. Outside of the 8th floor door, Karkat couldn't keep it in any more. Sollux had just reached his hand out for the door handle when Karkat shoved him against the wall.

"What the-" The rest of his complaint was silenced by Karkat pulling him down into a harsh kiss, open mouthed and everything. It took Sollux a moment to realize what was going on.

His eyes slid shut, his heart beat picking up at the feel of Karkat's tentative tongue hesitating at his lips. He kept still, sensing that Karkat would rather set the pace this time. Eventually, Karkat got the message. He shoved his tongue into Sollux's mouth, making a guttural noise at the feeling. The prostitute rubbed his tongue along Karkat's as he pushed his hips against the smaller man. They both needed this. Sollux needed to feel an actual person that cared about him (in some real way), and Karkat just needed to get off. His pimp's hands were tearing away at the new jeans, trying to get them off to reveal the sharp hips that Sollux had.

"KK, can we at least get to my apartment…?" Sollux's voice was husky, pants breaking up his words. Karkat stared at him for a moment before shoving open the door with his hip. Nobody was up in the apartments yet, all of them were still fast asleep as the sun was rising on the city. Sollux quickly led the way to his apartment, fiddling with the key for what seemed like forever. Karkat wanted to slap his hand away and do it on his own. Right when he was about to act on the impulse, the door swung open, revealing Sollux's dark and dreary apartment.

"Close the door behind you." Sollux ordered, grabbing a small back pack from his worn out bed. He stalked into the bathroom. Karkat could hear the jingle of pills in bottles being jostled around and tossed this way and that. Sollux came out of the small bathroom, picking up clothes in one hand, sniffing them, and then shoving them into the back pack.

"Sollux, are you a fucking druggy?" Karkat asked, picking up an empty pill bottle that had rolled out of the bathroom.

"No, I'm not. I have a lot psychological problems. I'm bipolar, they have me on meds for multiple personalities, I have chronic depression, and I'm a fucking insomniac. I have a minor heart issue, which is easily solved with this." He pulled a small bottle out of the bag and tossed it to Karkat. "Do you want to know more of my issues, or are you happy there?" Karkat was stunned. Seriously, he had no idea that one of his workers was that fucked up. "Why the hell do you think I don't drink alcohol anymore?" Karkat scoffed at Sollux. His hard on was rubbing all the wrong way against his slacks. His tie felt like it was strangling him.

"Just finish packing and then strip. I need to get off before I go to work." Sollux blinked at Karkat.

"Who said I had any more packing to do? My laptop is always put away when I'm not using it. It has everything else I need."

"Then take your fucking clothes off before I have to." Karkat growled. Sollux grinned as he dropped the back pack onto the floor. He pushed his boss onto his squeaky bed, leaving him there for a second.

"No touching, at all. Either one of us, until I say so."

"What? Oh, fuck no, you fucking little-" Sollux's lips captured Karkat's words before they could get any harsher. Sollux's teeth grazed Karkat's bottom lip, his tongue there the next second to ease away the pain. The pimp couldn't help but feel a little light headed after a kiss like that. Without another word, he pulled Sollux onto his lap, deftly switching positions with a simple roll afterwards. His hands scrabbled at Sollux's pants again, pawing at the thinner man's crotch through the material. Sollux made a small whining noise as he swatted away Karkat's hands. He undid the pants himself. His boss couldn't help but look greedily as Sollux shoved the offensive material away from his skin, showing his already swelling dick.

Another kiss sent shivers down both of their spines. Karkat carefully undid his slacks, not wanting to have to change when he got back to his apartment. They fell away from his hips along with his underwear.

"You'll be okay without much prep, right?" Karkat asked gently, licking and nibbling at Sollux's neck. The thin man made a small noise, and Karkat took it as a yes.

"Nnngh, KK, lube… Stand, second drawer." The strangled words made their way through moans, almost silenced as Karkat pressed two fingers against his entrance. Karkat glowered once before quickly standing up to find the apparently needed object. Before he could get situated on top of Sollux again, he was flipped, back pressed against the bed. His worker smiled down at him, mismatched eyes smiling impishly at him from behind those stupid glasses.

"You need this more than I do." Sollux murmured as he took the lubricant from his boss. "Trust me. I'm in the pleasuring business, or did you forget that?" Karkat snapped open his mouth to make a smart ass comment when his words were stolen away from him with his breath. Sollux's long fingers had quickly coated themselves in the slick lube and had found that one spot that made Karkat see stars. His pulse quickened as Sollux pressed against the spot again and again, rubbing it this way and that to see what sort of reaction he could get in return.

No more words were exchanged. Sollux eased himself onto Karkat, hissing as his boss's length slowly filled him. Karkat's shaking hand wrapped itself around Sollux's shaft, pumping in time with his grindings. Their moans filled the air along with the heady scent that sex always left behind. It wasn't too long before Karkat made one final attempt at expletives, bucking his hips up against Sollux's to ride out the last few seconds before his sweet release. He flipped their positions again, pushing Sollux's shirt up as to not mess up the decent button up he himself had to wear. A few more pumps and Sollux had his release. His locked onto Karkat's neck, his teeth digging in ever so slightly as his body tensed before he exploded. Hesitantly, he undid the bite that he had on his boss's throat, panting heavily and still blushing from what had just happened as he laid back on the bed.

"Fucker. That's going to bruise." Karkat rubbed away the spit with his hand, wiping it on Sollux's polo. "How am I going to explain that?"

"Terezi got a little excited. That's how." Sollux's voice was still warped from his moans. His heart was used to being sped up and having to settle quickly. He stared at the cum on his stomach, sighing over so slightly. "I'm really going to need a shower when we get to your place."

"And you can fucking have one." Karkat, by this time, had pushed himself off of his worker, tugging his pants and underwear back on like any good man who had a place to be. A quick flick of his wrist and his custom belt was cinched around his waist; a push here and there had his shirt tucked in nice and neat. He fixed his tie, glaring at Sollux who was still lounging on the bed.

"Come on, fuck face. I have to be at the store in an hour. Get up." Sollux smirked and stirred, slowly raising to his feet. He turned around to pick up his pants, letting Karkat get a nice long look at his ass before he pulled the material up and over it again. He settled everything into its right place. He discarded the new polo, opting for an older dark blue hoodie of his. He mopped the genetic material from his abs before he slid it over his head. The sleeves had been cut off and the rest of it hung off of his slender frame quite nicely. He adjusted his glasses, grabbed his back pack and laptop case, and left the apartment without waiting for Karkat.

"Gah, you're lucky I don't dock your pay." Karkat grumbled as he made his way outside of the apartment complex. Sollux smirked down at him.

"Sorry. I'm not used to spending a lot of time with the person I just had sex with."

"Get used to it. You're staying at my place for a week until I get your situation fixed." Sollux hitched his backpack higher up on his shoulder and began to trudge along behind his pimp.

"So, uh, you live with Terezi, right? Will, will she mind? I mean, technically what we do is illegal…."

"Terezi and I have a bargain worked out. I do most of the household chores and she doesn't turn me, or any of you, in. In fact, she's paid off the police more than enough times. Remember last fall? When we almost got found out? The afterhours raid on Kanaya's shop? Terezi covered that up for us." Sollux made a small cooing noise.

"Man, she's really sticking her neck out for us, isn't she?"

"Uh-huh. God, how the fuck can you live here? I mean, it's just so damn unclean and fucking sketchy." Karkat sent awkward glances around the dirtied street.

"Welcome to the poor land." Sollux replied waving to an old lady across the street. "All you have to do is assert yourself a couple of times." Karkat grumbled something again, his steps speeding up quite a bit.

"I'm going to be late, thanks to you."

"You're welcome." Sollux chirped happily. He seemed to be slightly less insecure with his medicines in his bag and his sexual tension relieved. That was the only complaint that Karkat had received from his workers; they said they didn't get off enough in their profession, in which Karkat would sadly reply that they weren't there to receive pleasure, they were there to administer it.

The long walk to Karkat's flat was quiet. Both men would cast glances at the other after every few minutes, different thoughts floating through their heads. Sollux was concerned about falling for his boss, not being a burden, finding a better job, and things along the general ideas brought up by his anxiety; Karkat was busy praying that Terezi had already left for her office, hoping he wouldn't be late, and who to blame it on if he was. Slowly but surely, the dirtied part of the city gave way to cleaner buildings that were in better shape, large windows appearing more frequently than the smaller and shattered ones in Sollux's neighborhood. The people became thicker, the noise increased. A few cars passed at first, but then it quickly began to form a traffic jam.

Sollux stopped in his tracks when he saw where Karkat lived. It was a large building, with pane glass windows instead of walls. The fancy name was molded out of a light metal and hung above the outcrop of the entrance. It was embellished with gold paint, glinting professionally in the morning sun. Karkat pulled the heavy glass door open, glaring at Sollux when he didn't move to go into the building.

"Get the fuck inside. I don't fucking have time for your fucking shenanigans." Sollux shook his head to clear his thoughts. He carefully moved inside of the building, praying that nobody would give him weird looks. There were a couple of people scattered about the lobby, lounging on the plush leather couches and chairs in last minute relaxation time before they were to be busy the rest of the day. Karkat nodded to the man behind the large counter at the back of the room, making his way to the elevator.

"Don't mind him. He just looks a lot more intimidating than he really is." The shorter man punched the button for the elevator, not having the time to run up the stairs like Sollux was so easily able to do. Sollux stayed quiet, feeling out of place in the large and fancy building. There was a strange feeling bubbling in his stomach. It wasn't quite nostalgia, but it did make him feel slightly sick to his stomach. Excitement, perhaps? Anxiety was more like it, however; that nervous buildup that sent your hands to shaking before you even thought about doing anything. His mind was going a hundred miles an hour, processing everything that was going on and could go on.

"Sollux." Karkat was inside of the elevator, his hand clamped over the door keeping it from closing. "Come on, I haven't got all day." The heterochromatic man blinked a couple of times behind his colorful glasses before quickly moving into the elevator. Karkat glanced up at him as he jabbed the button. Sollux barely registered that the level they were going to was the 12th floor.

The ride didn't take nearly as long as Sollux had expected it to. He just chalked it up to the fact that the elevator actually worked, and was probably well maintained. Karkat stepped out before him, leading him down the wide hallway. Sollux only counted four doors total on the floor.

"Why, hello there, Karkat. Oh, and Sollux? What are you doing here?" A familiar voice was rapidly approaching from behind the pair. Karkat growled, spinning on his heel and pushing Sollux behind him.

"What do you want, Ampora." Karkat didn't ask, he demanded. The hipster that lived on the same floor as Karkat stopped in his tracks, adjusting his stupid stripped tie. It was only a replacement for his day job until he could switch back over to his scarf.

"I was just asking what was going on. Normally I don't see Captor at a fancy place like this." Karkat sent a chilling glance at Sollux. A blush was quite apparent on his worker's cheeks. Karkat sighed, digging in his pocket for his keys.

"Room 1203, right down there." Karkat mumbled as he pressed the keys into Sollux's palm. "Make yourself at home." Dealing with Ampora would take more time than Karkat would like to give up. Sollux fumbled the keys. They flew out of his hands and landed right in front of Ampora, an embarrassing move on Sollux's part. He pushed past Karkat, dropping down on one knee to pick up the slippery bundle of jingles.

"Mmm, that's a familiar sight." Ampora murmured. Sollux grabbed the keys and stood up. He made sure to bash the top of his head against Ampora's chin in the process.

"I'm sorry, Eridan, what was that?" Sollux grinned evilly as Eridan held his jaw. "Oh, did you bite your tongue?" Sollux made no more attempts for conversation. He turned and strutted down the hall, reaching flat number 1203 quickly. Eridan and Karkat stared at the swaying hips while they went down the hall, only facing each other again after they heard the soft click of the door.

"Alright, listen up, Ampora." Karkat's day was not looking good so far. "You're going to leave him alone. I don't care how you two know each other, but you're not going to go around harassing him while he's staying with me." Eridan continued to nurse his jaw, glaring at Karkat all the while. "Honestly, if I find out you talked to him without him initiating the conversation, or let alone in my flat, I will personally see to it that I rip your fucking hipster dick off and shove it down your fucking throat." Karkat grabbed Eridan's jacket, dragging the hipster into the elevator with him. As Karkat punched the button that would take them back to the first floor, he prayed that Sollux would just get a good day's sleep on the couch, and not blow the place up.


	3. Strange Love

A/N: I know this one took some time, and I had originally planned to cut it off about halfway through this chapter, but then I realized that was just too small of one. So, thanks for waiting, and uber thanks to all of those that added this to their watch list :) You guys make me so happy. Now have a smut chapter with angst.

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><p>Sollux had somehow managed to figure out the fancy shower. It took all of his self control to not orgasm at the silky warm water that hit his skin when the pipes finally opened up to him. He took a moment to look at the soaps lining the attached shelves. There were a healthy mix of feminine and masculine scents. He stared at the line up of scents that he assumed were Karkat's. The man had basically every single AXE shower gel ever invented. He selected one at random, not particularly caring about scent at the moment. He popped the top of it, drizzling some onto his hand. A light citrus smell wafted up to his nose with the steam. Sollux struggled to keep his moan quiet. Sure, he was alone in the flat, but it came from years of being packed in a sardine can of an apartment complex.<p>

He padded out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, smelling lightly of oranges and lemons. He made his way to the kitchen and noticed the note written on a white board on the fridge.

_Karkles, I left some food in the fridge for your lunch. Don't stay out too late tonight, I have a surprise for you when I get back from the office~ _A crudely drawn smiley face was doodled onto the corner below Terezi's messy scrawl. Sollux left it alone, however the promise of food did send his stomach into convulsions. He opened the fancy fridge and relished in how much food was stored inside. A flat cardboard box caught his attention. A fancy pizza logo was printed onto it, and with a bit of further investigation, three pieces of an extra cheese pizza were left inside. He took the whole box, and a bottle of water that was also handily placed in the door of the fridge, and took a seat on a chair by the chrome topped island, not sure what Karkat's rules on eating on the couch were.

He ate the pizza in silence, staring around the flat with slight awe. From everything that Karkat ever said about Terezi, she was an absolute color freak. She usually showed up to court with a mismatched suit, grinning like a fool and tapping her cane around everywhere. But there wasn't a lick of color to be found in the flat. Everything was white or black, or a cold chrome gray. The lights were a pure white version, sending a cold and almost sterile look around the flat. Even the bathroom, in which Sollux had been previously, had been done up in white and black. It sort of gave him the creeps.

He shrugged the paranoia off after he finished the pizza, dropping the box by the small trash can. Somewhere along his course of action, his towel had decided to fall off. Sollux noticed this with a bit of embarrassment, even though he was pretty sure he was alone in the flat. He found his back pack by the door where he had left it, digging through it to find a decent pair jeans. He pulled them out and tugged them on. At least he was mostly decent if a surprise visitor showed up.

It wasn't a few hours later when just that happened. A soft dinging noise spread through the flat, jerking Sollux out of the nap he had fallen in to. Eridan was standing on the other side, glancing this way and that down the hall. Sollux checked the large modern clock; it was eleven forty five.

"What do you want, Ampora? I don't do business during the day light hours." The music he had been listening to when he fell asleep was still blaring in his ear from the iPod that the man standing on the other side of the door had given him a few months back.

"I know, Soll, but I was thinking that you could maybe make an exception?"

"No way, Eridan. Beat it."

"Come on, Soll, don't be like that." Eridan was wringing his hands now. He looked exceptionally pitiful like that. The CEO heard the click and slides of the locks. Karkat hadn't been stupid when he rented the flat; he had checked with the landlord to make sure it was okay to put in extra locks, for fear of thefts. The landlord had looked at him like he was high at the time, but said that it was alright.

"I'm charging three times the usual amount." Sollux looked grim. Eridan nodded quickly, digging for his wallet in his back pocket.

"I'll pay anything."

"God, Eridan, can't you get someone else?" The CEO paused at that statement. He knew it was cheesy to say that he didn't want anyone else, but Sollux was a man whore. He sold his body to gain money. There was no way that he could commit to a single relationship before he turned his life around.

"I don't like the way relationships work. Sex by itself is just as much fun." Lying through his teeth had never been his strong point. He prayed that Sollux wouldn't pick up on it. The man whore sighed before stepping out and clicking the door shut behind him.

"We're doing this in your flat. I don't want Karkat coming home and yelling at me for having sex in his flat without his permission."

"O-oh, yes, that would be bad, wouldn't it?" Sollux didn't look completely happy with the idea of any of what was going on, but he trudged along behind Eridan to his flat, waiting patiently as the CEO unlocked the door. Eridan's flat was the complete opposite of Karkat's. The walls were a deep purple trimmed with black, the lighting was a soft blue that wavered like you were underwater. The windows had a special screen over them that filtered the light exactly like water would. Sollux couldn't help but stand in awe as he took in how much careful planning and the sheer amount of money that had to have been poured into get the desired effect.

"Wow, Eridan. I knew you were rich, but damn." Eridan grinned sheepishly at Sollux's comment. With anyone else, other than his bubbly secretary, he would've just continued to flaunt his money to annoy. He thought that Sollux may have forgotten the point as to why he was there, but in the next moment he was sure that the hired help hadn't. Despite being taken aback at the mass amount of purple in the room, Sollux had been carefully planning out the plan of attack based off of the placement of furniture.

Eridan's back quickly made good acquaintances with the wall behind him just as Sollux's lips had a reunion with the hipster's. Both sets of hands roamed the familiar body in front of them; this wasn't the first time that Sollux and Eridan had tangoed.

"How do you want it?" Sollux broke the kiss to ask the question. He leaned in and growled next to Eridan's ear, expecting an answer within the next few seconds.

"Take me hard."

"You have work after this, don't you?"

"I took the rest of the day off." Sollux shrugged as he heard that. He wasn't normally one to go hard, but it got him paid three times the normal amount. Eridan was quickly spun away from the wall. His torso was bent over the back of his couch, hands having to jolt out to stop the edge of it digging into his abdomen. Sollux's body pressed up against his from behind, his thin arms wrapping around his waist to meddle with his belt. It wasn't nearly as horrid to get off as Karkat's and Sollux had managed to undo it quickly. His next obstacles were the single button and zipper which were standard on slacks. Eridan said he wanted it rough, and rough he would get.

Sollux tugged disdainfully at the slacks, ripping the button from the fabric and mangling the fuck out of the zipper in the process. He pushed the basically ruined pair of pants from Eridan's hips, revealing the smooth expanse of his ass. Sollux hauled him up and spun him around again, ripping the jacket, tie, and shirt from his body in a few swift motions. Eridan made soft noises as he rubbed his hips against Sollux, aching for the sweet friction that would eventually come. Muscle memory took over. Sollux's fingers wrapped themselves around Eridan's shaft, pumping hard and fast, thumb easily gliding over the tip at every peak. Eridan's moans grew louder and higher in pitch.

It wasn't too much longer before Eridan was putty in Sollux's hands. His muscles gave out on him completely. He struggled to stay standing at Sollux's expert touches and kisses, keening at every little inch that the whore's tongue moved along his skin. He came hard and fast, giving Sollux no time to move back. The thick liquid splattered on the thinner man's chest.

"Fuck!" Sollux muttered as he watched. Eridan's body shuddered once before going limp, his breathing ragged. Sollux sighed. At least he would get paid. After a few more minutes of an awkward silence that would've been accepted if it had been real sex in a real bed, Sollux cleared his throat.

"My pay, please, and something to wipe this off with." Eridan gave a heated look at him, barely moving from the upside down perch on the couch that he had fallen into.

"Ah, yeah." He rolled off of the violet fabric easily but didn't stick the landing. Sollux couldn't help but smile at the view he had of Eridan. He would bet three months worth of his pay check that Ampora never let anyone else see him this flustered and uncool. Sollux had to bite his tongue to stifle his laugh as Eridan rushed around the flat, grabbing his robe and a damp washcloth from the bathroom before picking up his pants to dig through them to find his wallet. He handed the washcloth to Sollux who quickly scrubbed at the sticky liquid on his chest.

"Here, three times the normal, correct?" Eridan held out a thick wad of cash. Sollux snatched it and gave politeness to the wind. He counted it right in front of the CEO, nodding when he had the desired amount. Sollux saw himself out of the flat and down the hallway.

"Don't go expecting that every day." Sollux called over his shoulder. Eridan chuckled as he closed the door behind Sollux.

Luckily enough, neither Karkat or Terezi appeared when he had been over at the other flat. He slipped inside and closed the door, locking it behind him quickly. He stowed the money in his backpack and collapsed onto the couch. His glasses met with the end table before he threw his arm over his eyes. He was tired, but sleep wouldn't come. He tossed and turned in the bright white room, unsure of what to do. Finally, Sollux gave a strangled cry and shoved himself from the couch. He stormed over to a closed door and kicked it open. It would've been a good time for karma to bite him in the ass, but she was nice. Nobody was in the bedroom. Sollux didn't pay attention to the bright red walls or the bright red bed set. He barely registered the fact that it was a water bed when he collapsed onto the bed. He somehow managed to get to one side and curl up underneath the sheets and comforter before passing out completely.

"Karkat, why is there a delicious smelling half naked man in our bed?"

"Fuck!"

"I'm assuming you know him then, eh?"

"Terezi, I swear to God, if you get any ideas…."

"Don't worry, I'm not." Sollux stirred lightly, cracking open his odd eyes. He had turned over in his sleep. A woman's face was close to his. He did everything in his power to shove her away. He was not a good morning person.

"You must be Sollux. You locked Karkat out of the flat, by the way. It was rather amusing." A sly smile broke out on the prosecutor's face. "I'm Terezi, as you could've probably guessed." Sollux nodded, sitting up and trying to figure out a way to get off of the water bed. Terezi saw his hesitation.

"Allow me to help." She pushed him off the edge, cackling as he landed on the plush carpet with a soft thud. Karkat stormed in then, glaring up a thunderstorm and cussing up a hurricane.

"What the fuck, Terezi?" His girlfriend sat there smiling as Karkat continued to cuss and bitch at her. Sollux rubbed the boney hip which he fell on.

"Geez, KK, don't care about me. After all, without me you wouldn't be raking in as much money as you do at night." Terezi laughed harshly at Sollux's comment.

"I like him. Can we keep him?"

"No. He's staying with us for a week until I can get something figured out for him."

"He can stay with us. Figured out." Terezi cackled again, rolling off of the bed with skill. She landed on her feet and grabbed her cane. "I'm getting something to eat now. How does Chinese sound?"

"That sounds delicious." Sollux cast a glare at Karkat, just waiting for him to say otherwise. Karkat grumbled something about MSG before hollering his order at Terezi. Sollux stood up and stretched, letting Karkat take in the smooth planes of his torso.

"I like her."

"It doesn't matter if you fucking like her."

"You technically cheated on her, y'know. With a whore. You should feel ashamed of yourself."

"It doesn't count if I'm a pimp and you're the whore."

"Uh-huh." Sollux rolled his eyes and pushed past Karkat. He silently padded into the kitchen, locating Terezi with ease. He leaned up against her gently, whispering his order in her ear as she dialed the number. She cackled as if it was some sort of inside joke which sent Karkat's stomachs into knots. He knew Sollux was just doing it to upset him, and it was working. Karkat stormed into the kitchen, biting his tongue from insults as Terezi placed the orders in over the phone. He yanked open the fridge. Sollux watched from the large window as Karkat messed around inside of it for a few minutes before angrily slamming it shut. Terezi had finished the phone call and was leaning against the counter when Karkat whirled around to face them.

"Who the fuck ate the last of the pizza!" Sollux ducked behind the counter to avoid the empty box that went flying towards his head.

"Geez, KK, if I had known you would've gotten that upset about it, I never would've touched it!" He peeked above it for a second, gauging how much time he had to sprint to the bedroom or the bathroom. Karkat was fuming.

"Five seconds."

"What?"

"You have five seconds to get someplace where I can't easily get to you in this flat." Well, shit. Sollux cussed under his breath. So much for running to Eridan, even though that would just create bigger problems in the future. His bare feet tensed on the cold tile, his entire body starting to compress like a spring. Living in the slums of the city apparently did give him some advantages.

"One. Two. Three." Karkat counted slowly. Sollux stayed in his place, waiting for the next two numbers to pass his boss's lips. As soon as they did, he took off sprinting into the flat, making a sharp turn into the bed room and locking the door behind him; Karkat's angry fists met the wood a few seconds later. Sollux couldn't help but laugh at his pimp.

"Damn it, Sollux! This isn't funny!"

"I just ate some pizza. You're the one getting all worked up about it." Karkat growled at the logic.

"Whatever."

Sollux listened as his friend's footsteps stomped back into the kitchen. He waited a moment to make sure Karkat wasn't going to come rushing back to break the door down. He slowly slipped out of the room, eyeing around the flat to keep tabs on Karkat. He didn't want to irritate his already pissed off boss. Said boss was currently splayed out on the couch, flipping through the channels on the large television with a scowl on his face. Terezi was doodling on a large pad of paper with a red crayon at the island in the kitchen, humming a deranged tune to herself. Sollux himself took a seat in the plush white chair and stared as Karkat continued to flip through the channels. He couldn't help but smirk as he likened them to his mind; unable to stay on one thing for more than a few seconds.

They were like that for a while, waiting for the Chinese delivery to show up. It eventually did, and Terezi made sure to dock the tip and berate that poor delivery boy for showing up late. After slamming the door in the poor kid's face after he just about pissed himself, they sat down to eat, enjoying the small insults tossed between each other as small conversation. Karkat retired not too long after he finished eating; Sollux had forgotten it was a night where he let everyone off to get a decent amount of sleep and clean themselves up. Terezi managed to scavenge some blankets and pillows for Sollux, apologizing for the fact that the couch wasn't the comfiest place to sleep, and she would make sure to have an intern buy an air mattress tomorrow. He smiled at her back as she scampered back into the bed room, shutting the door softly behind her. He laid down on the couch, covering himself with the blanket, and stared at the ceiling for a while before he eventually fell asleep.


	4. Date Night Pt 1

"Karkat! Where do you want these new ties?"

"Where you always put them, Egbert…" Karkat's patience was wearing thin, and it wasn't even noon yet. Sollux had been staying at his house for a few days already, giving Karkat even more stress than the position he held at the local suit shop already did. His underling, who was in grabs for the manager position if and when Karkat ever left the shop, peered from behind a rack of slacks at his boss.

"You okay, Karkat? I mean, you seem sort of… I dunno… Harsher than normal…"

"I'm fine, Egbert. I think you need to get your glasses checked." John Egbert giggled and ducked back behind the protective rack of clothes before his boss could do anything violent.

"I got a date tonight."

"Why do I care?"

"Because you're always telling us to be careful, and to have fun and know what we're getting ourselves into." John reappeared from behind the rack and slowly began to push it towards the back room. Karkat watched him with a grim frown. He really didn't want to like John, but it was hard to not like the goofy bucktoothed bespectacled man.

"Who are you going with?" The question took both of them off guard. John stumbled over his own feet, catching himself on the rack.

"You know the DJ from the club a few blocks away? Dave? I'm going with him. We're going to see that new Nic Cage movie that came out."

"Uh-huh."

"Maybe you and Terezi could come! We could make it a double date!" Karkat shuddered at the suggestion.

"No. Just, no, John. Things aren't going so well with Terezi and me." The short tempered manager left it at that. He adjusted his tie and strode back out in to the main show room, smiling and greeting customers and keeping an eye on the other workers. Predictably, John didn't leave it at that.

"Well, do you want to come over to my place? I can cancel with Dave, and we could have a romcom marathon or something! I make a pretty mean pizza, you know."

"John… I have plans tonight, as always." His patience was wearing thin. He didn't mind this sort of conversation in the back rooms, or in the small employee lounge area, but he did mind them in front of customers.

"You always have plans. What are you so busy with, anyway? Taking night classes at a university you don't want anyone to find out about? Or… Are you doing some shadier business…?" Karkat flushed at his friend's suggestion.

"I just have a lot of stuff. Manager stuff, that you wouldn't understand." John giggled at his friend's horrible excuse. He motioned for Karkat to join him in the back rooms again.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me, Karkat. It's understandable." The bucktoothed young man grinned at his boss and hugged him quickly. "But I'm here if you wanna talk about anything. And my offer still stands for a romcom night sometime." Karkat awkwardly patted his underling's back, blushing lightly. It wasn't like him to become flustered, but it also wasn't like him to reveal all of his secrets.

"Yeah… Thanks, I guess, fuckwad…"

"That could be considered harassment."

"Get over it."

"Hehe, I was kidding, Karkat."

"Shut up, dick head."

"You're lucky I like you."

"Heh, I know." John giggled again, an annoying habit that Karkat hated, and scurried off to do something that wasn't all that important. Karkat leaned on his desk as he let out a long sigh. Sollux living with him, things falling through with Terezi, and worrying about everything else was starting to get to him… Maybe he did need a day off. He ran his hands through his black hair and groaned. He really did not like being in the passenger seat when life decided to change course on him. He chalked it up to just being a control freak.

It was a quarter to seven when a loud knock rang through the small apartment. John, in the middle of selecting a pair of pants, jumped.

"C-coming!" He grabbed the first pair, a pair of khaki shorts, and tugged them on quickly before rushing to the door. He swung it open, smiling brightly at Dave, who stood in front of him wearing those same old shades.

"Egbert."

"D-Dave! I'm almost ready, give me a second." The shorter man left the door open as he rushed around to find his socks and shoes. He grabbed his keys from the dish by the door and his jacket from the back of a chair and joined Dave in the hall.

"How are you, Dave?"

"It's nearly ironic that you asked that." Dave's voice was even, a normal tone of voice for him. A sly smirk barely ghosted over his lips for a moment before he leaned in and captured John's lips for a gentle kiss. The suit seller smiled in to the action.

"Hehe, I missed you too, Dave." The blonde man said nothing in return; he fixed his glasses before popping his elbow out as a silent offer for John to take it. John giggled and slid his arm through Dave's, leaning into the lanky body as they strode to the elevator.

On the other side of town, Karkat was sitting in Kanaya's basement, listening to the last few costumers shuffle out of the shop. Vriska and Sollux were catching up quietly on the sheet covered couch. The dim lighting showed the lanky silhouette of Gamzee lumbering down the stairs that led to the alleyway behind the shop.

"What's up, motherfuckers?" Karkat grumbled at the rough rumble of the voice. That swagger, the way he slurred some of the syllables…. He had been visiting someone.

"Gamzee, what the fuck? Where have you been? Do you know how worried I've been?" It was Vriska that scolded him. She didn't particularly like any of the people currently in the basement, but it was a brotherhood thing. When Karkat wasn't around, it was left to Sollux, but when both were gone, as they had been earlier in the evening, it was left to Vriska. She stood up, her tall black pleather boots giving her a few more inches to almost match his height.

"Hey, chill, Vriska. Is all cool. I'm not harmed, see?" Gamzee spread his arms wide to show that there were no new heroine marks, or cuts or bruises. "We chill now?" Karkat growled audibly this time.

"No, we are not fucking chill, Gamz. You need to be here on time. And you need to stay away from that shit."

"What motherfucking shit, bro?"

"You fucking know what shit." Intelligence flashed behind the dark blue eyes of the taller man. His shoulders pulled back some, but no other physical change seemed to appear on him.

"What do you mean, Karkles?"

"You fucking know what I mean, fuck ass! You've been hanging out with that fucking dealer again, haven't you? You've been out, wasting your money on things like drugs and booze instead of paying it over! Or even buying food or making sure your fucking rent was paid!" Karkat shoved himself to his feet, his coat swishing around his ankles. "I don't give a fuck if you live with someone who's able to pay the entire rent. You need to stop wasting your fucking money like that!"

Gamzee shoved Vriska aside as he stalked to Karkat. He was much taller than his boss, and a lot stronger.

"You know what I think, bro? I think you need to calm your fucking tits. Tavbro don't mind, hell, he don't even care about half the shit I do! As long I show up to dinner on time, kiss him on the forehead before he goes to sleep, and let him cuddle with me every couple of nights." The drug addicts voice dropped a few octaves as he knotted his fingers in the plush fur of the coat on Karkat's shoulders. "He don't even care if I bring him anything, ever. He's as low maintenance a guy as I could ever ask for. He don't even ask why I come home smelling like sex and drugs, or have strange bruises on me, or healing bite marks. He. Don't. Even. Care."

Karkat had had enough. His jerked his knee up and into Gamzee's groin, head butting the taller man at the same time. It was enough to dislodge him.

"Gamzee, you need to go clean! You're gonna end up killing yourself, or someone else, with these antics!" Karkat's voice rose with every passing word. Gamzee stumbled back, knocking over a few of the small wooden chairs before he sagged against a large workbench. The ruckus was apparently enough to get Kanaya to come down the stairs, for she slammed the door open not a minute after the sound finally died down.

"What is going on here?" Her voice was stern. Her eyes shone with an irritation that the group had only seen a few times before. "I have a date soon, and I really would like to be on time for once." Karkat sneered at Gamzee and sat back down in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose gently.

"Gamzee's gone back." Sollux murmured, sitting back down on the couch. Kanaya let out a long sigh and eased down next to him.

"Gamzee…"

"Whoa, sister, I don't need no motherfucking lecture from you too. What I do in my fucking free time is what I motherfucking do. It ain't none of your motherfucker's business, now is it?"

"It is when you might kill yourself! Gamzee, we actually care for you!" Kanaya stood up and walked over to him, holding his face in her hands gently. "If it wasn't for you, who'd be here to make us laugh with stupid clown jokes? Or be the one to test out my new makeup without telling me? Or be the one to chase away the mice?" He scoffed lightly, shaking his head slowly.

"No motherfucking way, sister. I've fucking had it." His deep blue eyes were perfectly calm, the hidden intelligence scaring Kanaya as it shown through perfectly. He did nothing to push her away.

"And where are you going to go, Gamz? It's not like you can get a normal job when you're all hopped up like you are." Sollux joined Kanaya. He normally didn't show his compassionate side, but one of the few times when he needed to be calm and in charge. Karkat looked at the small gathering from his chair with a grim mask of distaste.

"If he wants to go, let him go."

"But, KK…"

"Did you not fucking hear me, Captor? I said to fucking let him go!" Vriska grumbled something and glared at Karkat through her glasses.

"Oh, so now you're just going to abandon him?" She flipped him the bird. "If you're going to let Gamzee go because he has no support system, I'm out of here too. Good luck with your one slut, Vantas." She grabbed Gamzee's wrist and hauled him up the back staircase that led to the alleyway. After the three that were left heard the door slam shut, Karkat screamed at the top of his lungs. His hands knotted themselves in his hair roughly.

"Fuck! Goddamn it! Son of a motherfucking whore from Hell!" The small man got up and kicked the already turned over chairs, throwing things this way and that as he continued to scream and rant at the top of his lungs. Kanaya closed her eyes and tried to steady herself.

"Sollux, could you please deal with this? I really do have a date, and I'm going to be late if I don't leave soon." She kissed his cheek before she left without waiting for a reply. The bipolar man sat down on the couch, waiting for Karkat to come close enough for him to grab.

Karkat let out a yelp of surprise as he was tugged onto Sollux's lap and pressed close to the lanky man's chest.

"Sollux, what the fuck?"

"You need to calm down, KK. The night's still early, and you still have me."

"Fuck you! All you've done is mooch off of me for a week because I'm too fucking soft! This was my fucking chance to _shine_, dipshit, and I fucked it up!" Tears pricked behind his eyes as he continued. "Terezi doesn't fucking take me seriously anymore, and John's just this big stupid ball of energy that tires me out at work, and nobody else there takes me seriously."

"Vantas, this is no time for a pity party." His lisp slurred some of the words, but Karkat got what he was saying. He sagged against Sollux, embarrassed to be seen like this but unsure of how to make himself feel better. Sollux sighed, rubbing Karkat's back and holding him close.

"You have the keys to the store room, right?"

"Huh? For the shop? Of course I fucking do, why?"

"We're going to take a pair of suits, and we're going to have a fancy dinner and a movie date."

"What? Why? I swear to God, Sollux, if you're trying to get in my fucking pants right now, I am going to kick you in the nuts so fucking hard-"

His words were cut off as Sollux kissed him deeply. His skilled tongue worked Karkat's mouth open, moaning at the little resistance that Karkat put up. When the initiator broke the kiss, Karkat slapped him.

"You better keep the fuck up."


	5. Date Night Pt 2

Karkat glanced around uneasily as the two newly suited men scampered out of the back door and into an alleyway. He felt uneasy basically stealing from the store he worked at, but he knew that there were no cameras in the storeroom, from which they had grabbed the correct sized suits and shoes. Sollux adjusted his deep yellow tie.

"Shall we be going?"

"Fuck off."

"I'm paying for your dinner."

"So? I can fucking pay for it myself, carpet muncher."

"I'll have you know I gave up on that a long time ago." Sollux grinned at his boss, his eyes dancing with mischief behind his dual colored glasses.

"Seriously, why the fuck do you wear those things?" Of course his comment had taken Karkat off guard, but he wasn't going to let such an underling see so.

"Fashion statement, I guess. It brings out my eyes too, and I'm sort of blind without them. I have a pair of regular glasses in my bag I'll let you see me in sometime."

"Gee, thanks for the sudden burst of fucking fiery hope that rolled in my stomach. I think it's called hate."

"Heh, you love it, KK."

By this point, they had already exited the alleyway they had slipped in to and traversed several streets, ending up outside of a relatively fancy restaurant that Sollux had heard that Karkat enjoyed eating at. He veered sharply into the small alcove by the doors. Karkat gave him a weird look, but joined him when Sollux opened up one of the doors for him. The two entered, not noticing anybody as they waited to be seated.

"Here are your menus! My name is Nepeta, and I'll be your waitress tonight. I'll bring some water rrright out, along with some breadsticks!" The happy green-eyed waitress rushed off not two seconds after finishing her spiel. Sollux eyed Karkat.

"You know her?"

"I come here a lot. She's worked here for as long as I can remember, actually. I think her dad owns it or something…" Sollux made a small noise in acknowledgement as Nepeta hurried back over, balancing the tray on her hand perfectly as she maneuvered around costumers and other servers.

"Here you are! Would you like a few more minutes with your menus?" Karkat leaned back in his chair and observed Sollux for a moment. The poor man seemed to be overwhelmed with the amount of food, or the price, on the menu.

"A think a few more minutes would be good. It's his first time here." Nepeta nodded and slipped her writing pad back into her little apron.

"Ah, alright." She flashed another smile and sauntered off to see to her other tables. Karkat just sat there, taking in Sollux's appearance. He cleaned up rather nicely, for a hustler.

"If you're going to stare, please do so in a less obvious manner." Sollux muttered. His legs brushed Karkat's as he stretched them out. The ill tempered man blushed hard at the light contact, and the blush deepened when he heard a familiar nasally voice.

"Karkat? Is that really you?" Sighing, the man in question turned in his seat a little, picking up on John sitting a few tables away with a tall and lanky blonde man. He said nothing to the duo, only nodding to show that he had heard John. He turned back to Sollux and resisted the urge to bury his head in his arms like a child.

"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck."

"Well, jeez, KK, if you're that horny, we can just pick up some whip cream and go home. Terezi's working late again. She left after you did. We had a pleasant conversation."

"Fuck."

"Don't worry. It wasn't anything bad. She told me you two weren't living well together. She also said that she was probably going to move out. See if that helped the relationship, or if you two should just end it." Nepeta returned to the table then.

"Are you two-"

"There is nothing going on between us!" Karkat's choice of words slipped out at the wrong time. Nepeta jumped, her deep green eyes widening in surprise.

"I was just asking if you two were ready to order. But I can just furget it if you need a few more minutes still."

"No. No, we're perfectly fine." Karkat growled. He clenched his fists under the table. He missed the days when he could just throw a tantrum and get away with it. But he was an adult now; he couldn't do things like that.

"You don't seem purrfectly fine…"

"Nepeta, was it?" Sollux intervened just in time. The veins in Karkat's throat were becoming a bit strained from the effort he was exuding to not cuss at the top of his lungs. Sollux put in the order perfectly. He even nailed Karkat's picky usual.

The hotheaded pimp glared at Sollux after Nepeta left to put their order in.

"How the fuck did you? It was Pyrope, wasn't it? Gah, I'm going to kill her later."

"Don't kill her. She told me, yes. It was her idea to do all of this anyway." Sollux shrugged as he picked up a breadstick and began to rip it into perfectly even sections. Karkat watched, mildly fascinated, as he tried to fit words to match his mood.

"Things have been rocky between me and Terezi for a while now. I guess it started last month. I don't know what happened. I feel like shit for it though." His irritation quickly moved to a melancholy state. Sollux glanced up from his shredding of the breadstick.

"If you don't know what it is, how can you feel like shit?" Sollux scrutinized Karkat from behind his glasses, his fingers still lightly holding onto the breadstick.

"I don't fucking know, alright? I think it has something to do with me, but I'm not fucking sure!" Karkat growled and fought the urge to hide his face in his arms like he did at home.

John, ever the watchful helper, saw Karkat's distress and walked over to their table. His goofy smile was replaced with a worried pout.

"Uh, excuse me, Karkat? Are you okay?" John, for once, kept his voice down. He didn't want to draw any unneeded attention to his already stressed boss.

"What? Oh. Egbert. I'm fucking fine."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am." Sollux grinned as the two bantered back and forth for a few more minutes. Luckily, the man that John was with came over and broke it up.

"John. Come on, bro. The movie's going to start without us."

"But, Dave!" John's words were laced with a high pitched whine that was almost unbecoming of a grown man.

"Go on your fucking date, Egbert. I'll see you tomorrow anyway." John stood there pouting at the other three men. Sollux had said not a word the entire time, watching quietly as he proceeded to shred the bits of breadstick into smaller pieces. Eventually, John gave up and left, but not without an ominous look. Karkat watched the two other men pay for their meal and leave.

"I don't think I want to watch a fucking movie anymore." He slumped in his chair, making the hundred and fifty dollar suit look like a twenty dollar school uniform.

"You need to get out of the house though." Sollux pointed a finger at him. The plate with the shredded up breadstick was pushed across the table. "Now eat."

"What?"

"Eat."

"Our food is coming in a few minutes."

"Eat." Karkat glared at Sollux and shoved his mouth full of the breadsticks, acting like a 15 year old boy. The words that came out of his mouth were jumbled, and it took everything that Sollux had to not laugh at him.

Nepeta came back carrying their orders then. She gave a weird look to Karkat as she put the plates in front of them both.

"Enjoy your meals…?" Sollux smiled and waved her off. She casted a few glances over her shoulders as she waited on other tables. Karkat, now a bright red, managed to down the breadsticks a few minutes after she left.

"Thanks a fucking lot, fuckwad."

"Heh. Feel better now?"

"Fuck you."

"Good." Sollux pushed Karkat's place towards him, smiling lightly. He really did care. Karkat blushed, scowling. He picked up his fork slowly and began to eat. Sollux waited to make sure Karkat wasn't going to stop before digging into his own plate. They ate in silence, casting occasional looks at each other. Sollux stopped halfway through and pushed his plate towards Karkat.

"I think you need it more than I do." The man across from him glanced up from his plate, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What? You're the one that hasn't had a decent meal in forever." Sollux chuckled and shook his head.

"Eating like I have shrinks the stomach. I'm full." Karkat growled lightly, clenching his fork in his hand until his knuckles whitened.

"Finish your fucking dinner."

"No." Karkat snarled and dropped his fork.

"I'm not going to finish my fucking meal until you do."

"Well, I guess we're done here then." The bespectacled man leaned back in his chair with a smirk on his lips. Karkat grumbled. There was no way he would win this battle.

"Fine. I want to go home." Sollux sighed. A silence passed between them as they waited for Nepeta to come back.

She did eventually come back, looking a little shocked at the small amount of food that was gone from their plates. She left the bill, which Sollux paid, and the two were off, heading back to Karkat's apartment.

"What? Why the fuck is the door unlocked?" Karkat grumbled and opened the door, looking around inside. The lights were off, everything in its proper place. The shorter man flipped on the lights and spied the note on the fridge before Sollux did.

Sollux made his way for his back pack, digging through it to find his two pill bottles. He slid into the bathroom with the bottles in hand, along with a credit card that was lying on the end table by the couch.

Karkat's yells were drowned out by the door, but only slightly. Sollux opened the first pill bottle, his prescribed medicine for his bipolar disorder, and swallowed the required amount. He glanced at the door, praying that Karkat wouldn't barge in. His shaking fingers tapped out two pills, lining them up carefully before going at them with precision. The credit card crushed them easily, and Sollux sighed a breath of relief as they quickly turned into a fine powder. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, not believing that he was still doing this. He knew the dealer that Gamzee had been messing with; he himself went there on occasion for refills. It was part of who he was. It helped keep the voices down, helped keep him in line, helped him do his job without feeling as dirty, helped him deal with the pains of his past and his present.

"Sollux, what the fuck are you doing in there? You better be taking a goddamn shower, and you better be making it fucking fast, because all I want to fucking do is sit in that tub and go fucking numb!" Karkat's yells were closer to the door now. Sollux took a quiet shuddering breath before answering.

"What the fuck. Can't a guy take a fucking piss before a shower? Besides, I'm waiting for the water to heat up." He pressed his thumb against one side of his nose, leaning down to the crushed line on the counter. Karkat's fist met the door three times.

"Just. Hurry the fuck up! Terezi's left. Like, for good. We're split, we're through. She gave me two full month's rent, cooked a week's worth of food." His yelling was slowly subsiding and growing fainter. He must've moved back into the kitchen. Sollux gave a mental sigh before readjusting his thumb. He snorted the line, cringing lightly before sitting up and sniffling a little bit. He repeated the process, smiling lightly as the familiar sensation spread through his body.

The water hit his torso with barely a sound. He didn't feel it. He felt nothing but a light fluffy sensation. He felt like he was falling through the air, and that nothing could stop him. The harsh landing did nothing to jar him from his high. He closed his eyes, grinning to himself, as he lay there, the water from the shower falling on his naked body like the warm rain.


End file.
